The Respondent will be asked to prepare a written statement responding to the allegation against them.

The statement is among the most important documents considered by the Board in a case and is the first opportunity the Respondent has to describe the event and respond to the allegation. The Respondent must write it themselves; the Board will not accept statements written by others, including parents, advisers, or attorneys. They are, however, encouraged to share a draft of their statement with their Board Representative, who is well-positioned to discuss, among other matters, the statement’s style, organization, length, and clarity, and to anticipate questions it may raise for the Board. In addition, the Respondent may wish to share a draft of the statement with their family members, legal counsel, or their personal adviser.

The statement should communicate the account of the event and its context, as well as the Respondent's reflections:

Tell the story in full. This is your opportunity to relate in full the facts of the alleged incident as you recall them. You should take care to distinguish between what is known first-hand and what you may have learned later from others. 

Describe the context. The Board is especially interested in your perspective on the incident, your perception of the Complainant’s conduct, and the context in which the incident occurred. 

Reflect on the event. It is helpful to the Board for you to provide any conclusions you have drawn about the alleged incident, stating clearly why you believe your actions may or may not have violated a rule or standard of conduct in the College. 

Attach to the statement a descriptive list of all sources of information (e.g., persons, correspondence, records, etc.) that you believe the Board should investigate, along with a brief explanation of why you believe the inquiries would be relevant and helpful to the investigation. Please identify sources of supporting information, but do not attempt to obtain them yourself; the Secretary, fact finder, or subcommittee chair will solicit any statements or documents sought as part of the investigation. Once your statement is completed, you should sign, date, and submit your printed statement. Emailing your statement directly to the Secretary of the Board is also acceptable.

If the Respondent declines to provide a written statement, the Respondent may not view the complaint or other statements submitted to the College, except as part of the subcommittee’s final report to the Board (see “Subcommittee Report” below).